A Numbered Update

It's been a little while...my apologies for my lack of blog posts over the last two weeks.  I've been a crazy busy hectic mess of a person.  So, here's for an update:

1. We finished learning Serenade, have now run it through twice (once Thursday, once Friday), and I'm fairly sure that I'm going to be able to get through it.  I need a bit more stamina though.  Does anyone know where one can buy it?  Thanks.

2. Along those lines, we start Agnes de Mille's Rodeo on Monday.  The man setting it will be here through Spring Ballet, so it won't be as stressful, hopefully.

3. I have a paper to write that's due Monday at midnight and I am procrastinating like no other.  Blah.

4. My mom's wedding is exactly one week from today!  I am so, so excited to go home for it and to see family that I never get to see.  :)

5. Yesterday, IU held a symposium called "Check Your Label: Elements of Conscious Consumerism," which featured several social entrepreneurs who are doing amazing things with fair trade and the like.  One of these was Blake Mycoskie, CEO and Chief Shoe-Giver of TOMS Shoes.  I've been a fan of TOMS for quite a while, so it was a definite treat to hear him tell the story I've heard for so long and to see his passion for his company in action.  Also, he's super good-looking.  Anyone know where I can find someone like him?  If you do, please let me know.

6. Valentine's Day is approaching.  It makes me want to throw up.  Anyone want to be mine?

7. The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics start on Friday, and I couldn't be more pumped.

8. I need coffee.  Now.  But the stuff downstairs just doesn't cut it, and it's much too cold and the wind is howling much too loudly for me to get up the energy to walk to the Starbucks in the Union.

9. I saw the IU Opera Theater's production of Lucia di Lammermoor last night.  While it ran a little long (almost 3 hours!), I was incredibly impressed by Angela Kloc's (Lucia) performance.  It was kind of unbelievable, especially considering she's only a first year grad student!

10. I need to see several movies before the Oscars, including The Hurt Locker, Crazy Heart, and It's Complicated.  I also want to see Dear John, despite the not-so-great things I've heard about it (Channing Tatum is a god) and Valentine's Day, but I think I'll wait til after next weekend, when the theater isn't overtaken by lovesick couples (ew).

11. Had my first IUDM Alumni Relations Committee meeting and am so excited about the work that we're going to be doing.  We have a very large task at hand, trying to expand our alumni base and bring them into the foreground of the marathon, but the committee is full of creative and talented people, and I'm confident we have the necessary tools to do this.  It definitely made me feel better about everything.

12. Finally, I still feel like God is preparing me for something awesome right now, but He still hasn't quite revealed to me what that is.  I'm continuing to pray about it.  Those of you who pray, would you mind praying for me to have patience and to not lose my trust in His plan?  That would be fabulous. 

I think that's enough of an update for now.  Not much else to report.  Hope those of you on the east coast are staying out of the cold and snow...we were expecting more snow in Btown, but it looks like we got about 6 or so inches and a lot of wind instead.

Rediscovering the Joy in Dancing

I have rediscovered the joy in my dancing.  Not that I ever really lost it, but sometimes, it gets hard doing the same thing day after day, week after week, especially when we only perform one weekend every 3-4 months.  Performing is what I love.  I know that class is necessary and the daily routine of my life would be all screwy if we didn't have it (not to mention, I'd be soooo out of shape), but the reason why I dance is because of the performance.  This Spring, the ballet department is doing an amazing performance with incredible rep.  We are so lucky, as a collegiate program, to be performing George Balanchine's, Serenade, Rubies, and Agnes de Mille's Rodeo.  I am more than pumped.  Today, we started learning Serenade.  I had the pleasure of performing it my sophomore year in high school and then again (just the first movement) when I was at North Carolina Dance Theatre for the summer program the summer before I stayed for the year.  The music and the costumes and the choreography are literally breathtaking.  Performing it was like a religious experience.  So to get to do it again is amazing.  The rehearsal went pretty well (although for the 47365th time I've been here, I still don't have a lead--which is discouraging, but another conversation entirely).  I am just thrilled to be able to have the opportunity to dance it again.

In other news, I received an email from the director of my IUDM committee, and it made me feel a helluva lot better about things.  Tomorrow, there is a bowling mixer with ALL of the IUDM committees, and it will be the first time I meet everyone.  I'm really excited and anticipating meeting everyone.

On Friday night of this weekend, a bunch of the DGs went over to one of the alumna's houses (she graduated last year and teaches in Bloomington) for dinner and a sleepover.  We made spaghetti, bruschetta, and break-and-bake cookies, drank far too much wine, watched the Hope for Haiti Now Telethon (and GLEE), and had good old-fashioned girl talk.  It was a nice break from the sorority house, but it also kinda made me miss living in my apartment.  I miss cooking and being able to have a queen bed and a bathtub and just being able to live without being surrounded by constant drama.  Please don't get my wrong, I love DG still, but every once in a while it's nice to have a break.

I also saw Up in the Air on Saturday night.  I absolutely loved it.  George Clooney was brilliant as always, and I was really impressed with Anna Kendrick's performance.  Having only been familiar with her in Twilight (gag me) and on an episode of Leno, she did a fabulous job.  Such an interesting story line (funny and heartbreaking and wonderful).  It also re-inspired my desire to travel (albeit with someone and not for my job and not shutting people out of my life).  It absolutely has to happen.

In regards to my previous post, Leah said that, although I used the word "trust" about 20 times, I didn't use the word "faith" once.  This surprised even me.  I guess I don't struggle with my faith.  I have faith that God is always going to come through for me...I have faith in the plan.  It's trusting that faith that I tend to have issues with.

I really hope this week isn't too terribly long.  I'm already ready for the weekend.  Does that make me pathetic or just unmotivated?